Apparatus for use in changing the pattern member of a tufting machine pattern attachment



Sept. 10, 1963 w. A. RICE 3,103,188

APPARATUS FOR USE IN CHANGING THE PATTERN MEMBER OF A TUFTING MACHINE PATTERN ATTACHMENT Filed June 13, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVE OR 45% 4. ma @QMJMW I] Z ATTORNEY Sept.- 1 0,

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1963 w. A. RICE APPARATUS FOR USE IN CHANGING THE P OF A TUFTING MACHINE PATTERN ATTAC Filed June 13, 1962 g gl/IZVENTOR M i; w J

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APPARATUS FOR USE IN CHANGING THE PATTERN MEMBER OF A TUFTING MACHINE PATTERN ATTACHMENT Filed June 15, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 3

INVENTOR M 46 XM-QM Z rZ ATTORNEYS 3,103,188 APPARATUS FOR USE IN CHANGING THE PAT- TERN MEMBER OF A TUFTRNG MACHKNE PATTERN ATTACHMENT Walter A. Rice, Amsterdam, N.Y., assignor to Mohasco Industries, Inc Amsterdam, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed June 13, 1962, Ser. No. 202,304 6 Claims. (Cl. 1l2-79) This invention relates to apparatus for use with the pattern attachment for tufting machines described in Crawford United States Patent 2,853,033, issued September 23, 1958, to facilitate the removal of a previously used pattern member and its replacement by another.

The pattern attachment of the Crawford patent is employed in conjunction with a tuft-lug machine for feeding the pile yarns to the needles of the machine in such manner that the pile of the fabric produced is made up of high and low loops arranged in accordance with a pattern. The form of the attachment used commercially includes a frame structure mounted on the housing of the tufting machine and supporting an upper shaft, an intermediate shaft, and a lower shaft, each carrying a set of sprocket wheels. A flexible pattern member encircles the shafts and comprises a plurality of endless chains provided with aligned separable links and trained about the sprocket wheels and a set of pattern slats or wires extending transversely of the chains and connected to them. Below the lower shaft, the chains pass across the lower face of a guide plate on the frame structure, which holds sections of the chains straight with the slats on the sections parallel and with the outer edges of the slats in a plane. An idler member made up of chains connected by transverse slats is trained about sprocket wheels on a shaft and passes across the upper face of a guide plate parallel to the first plate, the plates being so disposed that the slats on the sections of the two members passing across the plates lie parallel and in intermeshing relation. T he free edges of the slats of the pattern member are notched, so that each slat varies in height along its length in accordance with a pattern, while the slats of the idler member are uniform in height from end to end.

In the use of the Crawford attachment, the pile yarns are guided in a sheet to pass between the slats on the parallel sections of the two members and the intermeshing of the slats causes the yarns to be formed into waves varying in amplitude in correspondence with the variations in height of the pattern slats. The chains are driven to advance the yarns to the needles and the yarns are fed in increments varying in length as determined by the pattern.

Since the pattern member of a Crawford attachment can be used in the production of a fabric with a single pattern only of high and low loops in the pile, it is necessary to remove the pattern member from the attachment and replace it by another whenever a pattern change is to be made. Such an exchange of pattern members has heretofore required the stoppage of the tufting machine for a considerable period and caused a loss of substantial production.

The present invention is accordingly directed to the provision of apparatus for use with the Crawford pattern attachment to facilitate a change in pattern members. The apparatus includes means for supporting the leading end of the used pattern member, after it has been opened by separating the separable links of the chains, and guiding the member away from the machine. The apparatus also includes means for supporting the replacement member with its leading end connected to the trailing end of the used member and means for holding both members in contact with sprocket wheels on the shafts to be advanced thereby.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation with parts broken away and others shown in section of a Crawford attachment provided with part of the apparatus of the invention; 7

FIG. 1a is a fragmentary side elevational view of a portion of a pattern member;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the apparatus of the invention in use in the changing or a pattern member; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view similar to FIG. 2 showing the manner of operation of the apparatus.

The drawings show a Crawford attachment mounted upon the housing 10" of a conventional tufting machine and the attachment includes a frame structure made up of parallel plates 11 secured to the rear face of the housing and extending above it. The attachment is ordinarily made in units capable of use in the production of a fabric of a width of about 39 inches 1or less and a pair of plates 11 is provided for each unit Oif the attachment mounted on the tufting machine although, if two or more units are employed on the machine, it is only necessary to use a number of plates which is OHG'IDJOIG than the number of units. The framework also includes an extension plate 12 mounted on top of each plate 11 and braces 13 secured to the top of the housing at its forward edge and to the plates 12 between their ends.

An upper shaft 14- mounted in bearings 15' attached to the rear faces of the plates 12 extends across the attachment and carries a plurality of sprocket wheels 16 for each unit. A lower shaft 17 mounted in bearings on the plates 11 also extends across the attachment and carries a plurality of sprocket wheels 18 for each attachment unit. An intermediate shaft 19 extending across the attachment is mounted in slides 20 in openings 11a in the plates 11 and carries sprocket wheels 21. Each slide 20 is movable by a screw 22.

An upper pattern member 23 encircles the shafts 14, 17, and 19 and the member is made up 10f plurality of chains of conventional construction and formed of links 25", 26 formed of plates connected by pins 27 enclosed within the usual rollers. A flange 28 is secured to the outer edge of each plate of each link and an L-shaped slat or wire 29 extending across the chains is secured to the flanges on corresponding links on the chains by screws. The chains are provided with aligned separable links, so that the chains may be opened .to permit removal of the pattern member from the sprocket wheels. Below the shaft 17, the chains pass along the under surface of a guide plate 3d so that the sections of the chains in contact with the guide plate travel in a plane with their slats 29 lying parallel and the outer edges of the slats also lying in a plane.

An idler shaft 3-1 mounted in hearings in the plates 11 extends across the attachment and carries sprocket wheels 32 'and a guide plate 33 is mounted above the shaft 31 with its upper face parallel to the lower face of the guide plate 30 and spaced therefrom. An idler member 34 encircles the shaft 31 and the member is made up of chains 35, on the links of which are mounted slats 36 similar to the slats 29.

The slats 29 on the pattern member vary in height from end to end as determined by a pattern and, for this purpose, the slats are provided notches varying in depth and receiving individual yarns, while the slats 36 are uniform in height. The plates 30, 33 are so disposed that the slats on the sections of the chains of the members passing across the faces of the plates lie in intermeshing relation.

The pile yarns P are supplied from individual packages in a creel and travel through respective tubes 37, the

lower ends of which are mounted in an angle iron 38 attached to the rear edges of the plates ll. From the lower ends of the tubes, the yarns pass through openings in a guide 39 and are then led between the intermeshing slats on the sections of the members passing across the faces of the guide plates. The engagement of the slats with the yarns causes the yarns to be formed into waves varying in amplitude or height and the height of successive waves in any yarn depends :on the depth of the notches in the slats 29 in which that yarn is received. The shafts 14-, 17, 19, and 31 are driven from the tufting machine and grip the yarns and draw them from the packages and, as successive waves of the yarns are released by the slats, the released waves become increments of the yarns fed to the needles and the increments vary in length with the amplitude of the waves and thus in accordance with the pattern.

Whenever a change is to be made in the pattern of high and low loops in the pile of the fabric being produced on the tufting machine, it is necessary to remove the pattern member of each unit of the attachment and replace it by another. Heretofore, this operation has required the services of two men and it has been laborious and time consuming because the pattern members are awkward to handle. The apparatus of the invention overcomes these difliculties and provides means for storing the replacement pattern member while the member previously in use is removed.

The new apparatus comprises a bracket 40 attached to the front edge of each plate 11 and provided with a lower socket defined by a flange 40a and adapted to receive the shaft 41 of a roller 42. The lower socket of each bracket is so disposed and the rollers used are of such diameter that the rollers in the sockets engage the outer edges of the slats 2? on a pattern member 23 passing about the shaft 17 and hold the chains of the member in contact with the sprocket wheels 18 on the shaft. Each bracket is also provided with an upper socket defined by a flange 40b and a rack 43' made up of a plurality of curved metallic straps 44 connected by a bar 45' may be mounted on the brackets 40 on a pair of plates 11 by insertion of the bar in the upper sockets of the brackets.

A bracket 46 is mounted on each slide 26 and is provided with a socket defined by a flange 46a. A roller 47 is mounted on each bracket 46 by having its shaft 48 inserted in the socket of the bracket and the roller is then held in place by a screw 49 passed through openings in the flanges.

A bracket 50 is mounted on each brace 13 of the frame structure of the attachment near the lower end of the brace and the bracket is provided with a socket defined by a flange 59a. A roller 51 is mounted on each bracket by insertion of the shaft 52 of the roller into the socket of the bracket.

When the new apparatus is to be used in the removal of a used patter-n member from a unit of an attachment and the insertion of a new member into the unit, the rollers 42 are mounted in the brackets 46} on the plates at opposite ends of the unit and the tufting machine is operated to advance the pattern and idler members until the separable links of the chains on the pattern member are close to the upper end of the guide plate 30 and at about the position X. The slat attached to the flanges of the parts of the separable links is then removed, the separable links are separated to open the member, and the upper end of the member is swung upwardly, as indicated by the arrow, over the top of the sprocket wheels 16 on the shaft 14 and brought downwardly to pass over the rollers 42. and 51. The rack 43 is then mounted on the brackets 40 and the new pattern member 53 in the dorm of a roll is placed upon the rack with its outer or leading end extending toward the rear of the machine. The leading end of the new member is passed over the shaft 19 out of contact with the sprocket wheels 21 there on until the links 'at the leading ends of the chains of the member can be connected to the links at the trailing ends of the chains of the previously used member, after which the new member is lowered to rest upon the sprocket wheels 21. When the connection between the chains of the old and new members has been made, the rollers 47 are inserted in the sockets in the brackets 46 and secured in place by the screws.

The tufting machine is now operated and, as the sprocket wheels 18 and 21 rotate, the chains of the old and new pattern members are held against the wheels by the rollers 42 and 47 and advanced by the wheels. When the connection between the members has passed beyond the rollers 42 and reach the point Y, the chains of the members are disconnected, the rollers 47 are removed, and the roll of the new member 53 is removed from the rack -43 and moved to the position Z. The rack 4-3 is then removed from the brackets 4:6 and the remainder of the new member is swung over the shaft 14 and lowered until its chains receive the teeth on the sprocket wheel 16. The trailing and leading ends of the new member are connected by reassembly of the separable links of the chains, a slat is attached to those links, after the removal of the old pattern member over the rollers 51 and the removal of the rollers 42 and 51, and the attachment is ready for operation.

When the apparatus is employed on an attachment made up of a plurality of units, the brackets 40, 46, and 50 employed with each unit are permanently mounted in position on the frame structure of the attachment. A single set of rollers 42, 47, and 51 and a single rack 43 are provided and the rollers and rack are moved from one set of brackets to another, as required.

With the new apparatus, the pattern members of the five units of an attachment used on a tufting machine for making a carpet 15' wide may be replaced by one man in less than an hour, whereas, without the use of the apparatus, the same work requires two men working about four hours. As such a tufting machine can protime more than square yards of carpet in an hour, it will be apparent that the use of the apparatus elfects great savings in production cost.

-I claim:

1. An apparatus for use in removing a used pattern member and replacing it by another in an attachment for tfeeding pile yarns to the needles of a tufting machine, such attachment including a frame structure attached to the housing of the tuftiug machine and extendting above the housing, an upper shaft, an intermediate shaft, and a lower shaft mounted on the structure, sprocket wheels on the shafts, and a flexible pattern member trained about the sprocket wheels and made up of parallel endless chains having aligned links separable to open the pattern member and transverse slats connecting the chains and extending outwardly therefrom, the apparatus comprising means mounted on the frame structure for engaging the outer ends of the slats of the pattern member, after it has been opened, and holding the ,member in engagement with the sprocket wheels on the .lower shaft to be advanced, the engaging and holding means supporting the member during its advance, means for supporting the replacement pattern member with its leading end connected to the trailing end of the used pattern member, and means for engaging the outer ends of the slats of the replacement pattern member and holding such member in engagement with the sprocket wheels on the intermediate shaft to be advanced thereby.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the means for engaging the used pattern member includes brackets attached to the frame structure near the lower shaft and a plurality of rollers mounted :for rotation in the brackets and the means for engaging the replacement pattern member includes brackets attached to the frame structure near the intermediate shaft and a plurality of rollers mounted for rotation in the brackets.

means for supporting the advancing used pattern member 3. The apparatus of claim 2, in which the rollers are References Cited in the file of this patent 'removably mounted in the brackets.

4. The apparatus of lclaim 1, in which the means for UNITED STATES PATENTS supporting the replacement pattern member includes a v rack removably mounted on the frame structure. 5 i 5. The apparatus of claim 4, in which the rack is 76918501 Thom 1904 mounted on the brackets near the lower shaft. 6 j P ep '6 The apparatus of claim 1 which includes roller 1999578 Rocke D 1921 2,013,109 Reynolds Sept. 3, 1935 forward of the means vfor engaging and holding such 10 2853034 Crawford Sept 1958 member. 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR USE IN REMOVING A USED PATTERN MEMBER AND REPLACING IT BY ANOTHER IN AN ATTACHMENT FOR FEEDING PILE YARNS TO THE NEEDLES OF A TUFTING MACHINE, SUCH ATTACHMENT INCLUDING A FRAME STRUCTURE ATTACHED TO THE HOUSING OF THE TUFTING MACHINE AND EXTENDING ABOVE THE HOUSING, AN UPPER SHAFT, AN INTERMEDIATE SHAFT, AND A LOWER SHAFT MOUNTED ON THE STRUCTURE, SPROCKET WHEELS ON THE SHAFTS, AND A FLEXIBLE PATTERN MEMBER TRAINED ABOUT THE SPROCKET WHEELS AND MADE UP OF PARALLEL ENDLESS CHAINS HAVING ALIGNED LINKS SEPARABLE TO OPEN THE PATTERN MEMBER AND TRANSVERSE SLATS CONNECTING THE CHAINS AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM, THE APPARATUS COMPRISING MEANS MOUNTED ON THE FRAME STRUCTURE FOR ENGAGING THE OUTER ENDS OF THE SLATS OF THE PATTERN MEMBER, AFTER IT HAS BEEN OPENED, AND HOLDING THE MEMBER IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SPROCKET WHEELS ON THE LOWER SHAFT TO BE ADVANCED, THE ENGAGING AND HOLDING MEANS SUPPORTING THE MEMBER DURING ITS ADVANCE, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE REPLACEMENT PATTERN MEMBER WITH ITS LEADING END CONNECTED TO THE TRAILING END OF THE USED PATTERN MEMBER, AND MEANS FOR ENGAGING THE OUTER ENDS OF THE SLATS OF THE REPLACEMENT PATTERN MEMBER AND HOLDING SUCH MEMBER IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SPROCKET WHEELS ON THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT TO BE ADVANCED THEREBY. 